NYIFC Comments:
As a rule, I stay ahead of this on the prospect blog for this website in terms of the contracts. I believe Ty Wishart is again an RFA at age 25 come June 2013. Mr Fornabio writes he is UFA.

Look out in two years when the Wolfpack lease expires, and Dolan has Coliseum development rights via Mangano's RFP.New York:
As I wrote on January 2nd, the NHL was cancelled in terms of this website, and that's the way it will remain.

Having written this I respect the overwhelming majority who feel otherwise, hope they have a great time moving forward, and that they respect my position on this which is the minority today. (not so much on 1/2/13)

Everyone should respect each others choices. I do not consider a 48 game season, a complete NHL schedule, and saw one in 1995.

Yes, I'm flat out thrilled the New York Islanders season tickets to the NHL lottery have been revoked next week. I'll write that much going into the 2013 draft.

The Sound Tigers richly deserved elimination came on Friday night at their own hands.

Not much that can be written that was not in the entry on Scott Pellerin being replaced, even though he is under contract for 2013-14. I would guess unless he has another job in mind, and the Islanders are willing to let him go he will be back.

Perhaps it was the grind of Nino Niederreiter's first healthy full season, combined with injuries to his line-mates?

Nino Niederreiter played his mostly injured NHL season in 2011-12, almost a full year younger than John Tavares did.

Forgetting the statistics, Nino Niederreiter was not as involved in the play as he was before his agent spoke in January. Still on paper overall he had an excellent first full season.

For Brock Nelson, Matt Donovan this season was a major step forward. John Persson, Johan Sundstrom had an excellent showing. David Ullstrom faces some tough competition moving forward, along with Aaron Ness, who had a much better year than his plus/minus shows.

Kirill Kabanov, who scored in the season finale, will get a pass based on his injury, but he received criticism from Pellerin. Jason Clark was not a success story, nor was Mike Halmo.

Only management in New York knows where Ryan Strome fits in 2013-14.

The Ct Post will release a list of who's restricted/free agent in a day or two.

Defense:
We sure have come a long way quickly since Mike Mottau, Steve Staios, Mark Eaton, Milan Jurcina.

Depth is a funny thing, you can go from none to plenty very quickly.

Bridgeport is basically set for 2013-14 in this department with the signings of Pedan, Mayfield, Dalhuisen, with Ness, Reinhart (Juniors or NHL 13-14) Donovan, Cantin or Calvin deHaan.

Ty Wishart seems on the outside in terms of a paper roster with Jon Landry.

Anyone on the outside of this mix likely will not be retained, it costs nothing to qualify Mark Katic in Europe.

To play many of these defenders in a third pairing would not be the best use of their talent which is another problem-see Anton Klementyev.

The math is not good for Brenden Kichton, who's a big risk if management decides to let that offense re-enter the NHL draft. There are more defenders in college, and CHL who must be signed by summer 2014.

If Kichton is signed by another club, providing NHL-level offense,
management will face well earned criticism, this is not losing Jared
Spurgeon, who is a descent NHL player.

There is another draft class coming in June, given all the signed defenders in the organization now, plus all the ones due to be signed next summer, there is not enough room.

Yes folks on paper Brenden Kichton is a better prospect than Pedan or Mayfield, or even Aaron Ness when he signed out of Minnesota, or Donovan out of Denver, he's a mile better than Mike Dalhuisen.

The story of Justin Mapletoft was discussed here already, that's where Kichton is now.

The day will come where Travis Hamonic will get his offer of close to thirty million from hometown Winnipeg if his offense develops, or fifteen million if it does not. Why is he turning that down? His 2013 RFA summer coming up will tell us part of what's coming.

The days of Andrew MacDonald making 500k are coming to an end, someone's giving him three million plus a year if even if he shows no offensive progression, and much more if he does.

Brian Strait is a happy man with a three year contract, Thomas Hickey (RFA) will likely want even more. Joe Finley is signed for 2013-14.

Good news is if history has taught us anything it's there is no such
things as not enough depth, especially in an organization with a long
history of leading the league in man games lost.

Goaltending:
With Miko Koskinen signing in Europe for the next two years, if New York wants to develop a goaltender it has to be Anders Nilsson.

Kevin Poulin (RFA) did not have a good year, but no goaltender did in front of the second highest goals allowed team in the AHL.

Rick DiPietro's progression, cannot come at the price of developing a goaltender unless DiPietro can make the adjustment to being a backup which is asking too much for a goalie who desperately needs to work off rust.

A lot will be decided on if Nabokov returns with Tim Thomas an option.

DiPietro's finally showed his first real sign he is healthy playing eighteen games, there is no working off rust as an NHL/AHL backup or splitting time with another goalie in a league where teams largely play during weekends.

Of course the Islanders can simply keep DiPietro as the full time Bridgeport starter, and not care about developing a goaltender. Many organizations go the same route once they had their NHL starter.

Martin Brodeur, Johan Hedberg took the Devils to the Stanley Cup finals a year ago. Dwayne Roloson the conference finals before that. Anyone believe the Flyers, with Bryzgalov, Mason or Pittsburgh with Vokoun, or Rangers with former Islander Biron, are playing a huge premium on developing a backup goaltender in their AHL system?

How would you like to be an AHL goalie in Vancouver's system right now?

"It's an amazing feeling to get closer and closer to your lifelong
dream," Dalhuisen said. "All of the hard work of the past 21 years of
hockey is finally paying off."

"We're very happy for Mike in continuing his career in the Islanders
organization," head coach Rand Pecknold said. "We're proud of his
accomplishments and wish him all the best as he progresses to the NHL."

Miller commented via twitter.

Prospect blog has all updated contract signings for Bridgeport/Prospects.

NYIFC Comments:
A lot of very early moves.

As per our recent entries, the numbers of players signed to play defense in New York & Bridgeport, along with the prospects who needed to be signed by 5/31/13 (Kichton/Theoret) plus the CHL defenders who need to be signed by 5/31/14 from the draft of 2012.

Some players will not be signed or brought back from the current group, there are simply not enough roster spots with a lot of players spectators for the Sound Tigers in many games as is. Almost to the point where it's reasonable to suggest are the Islanders going to reach terms on a new ECHL affiliate somewhere?

I sure did try over the years, writing this day was coming often.
On 11/20/12 this website wrote, Nassau To Pick Coliseum Developer, Who Cares? here.

Now there is reason to care.

James Dolan's Cablevision, Msg, Newsday have bid for the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the company that did the song and dance they wanted the Isles to stay, now want their home arena in the future.

Make no mistake it would take a miracle for them not to win that bid.

Another entertainment venue to go with Hartford (tenant), Los Angeles Forum, Radio City, Beacon Theater, even Newsday to control the message. That's what Dolan does.

Hofstra
President Stuart Rabinowicz will likely support the Blumenfeld bid. (unless Hofstra expansion projects with biotech are part of the HUB or if Master Developer Monti has promised him that.)

Dolan will likely have another corporate naming sponsor like JPM Chase who are giving Msg 300m for internal naming rights, along with Cablevision money, and perhaps their own naming rights on the facility.

They will win the bid handily because most of these other people are looking for some public financing (or a referendum-like deal) which Nassau will not do, they just renovated a similar facility in age.

They only need to transfer the companies that renovated Msg to Long Island.

Plus they have a professional AHL hockey team all ready to cut into most of Charles Wang's current family/kid season ticket NHL base, the Ct/Cablevision Whale with an expiring lease in two years.

Ed Mangano:
Mangano will pick what can save his bid for re-election. Cablevision can give him the political contributions/positive press to help that. Tom Suozzi is a former Newsday employee after he lost to Mangano so that end is covered completely.

Cablevision, its political action committee and owners, the Dolan
family, had been one of Suozzi’s biggest campaign contributors
throughout his career—donating nearly $200,000 to Suozzi’s political
aspirations since 2006, according to NYS Board of Elections financial disclosure records.

Counting on Mangano to be voted of office out for losing the Islanders? Not a prayer. Like referendum day, that's a smaller minority completely indifferent to virtually the only municipality in New York/New Jersey (around the country/Canada) who did nothing to keep their professional sports team via taxpayers.

“It’s become obvious that Newsday columnist Joye
Brown has some personal grudge or vendetta against Nassau County
Executive Ed Mangano. We all get that! However, it’s a shame that
Newsday is allowing an editorial opinion on the news page without
labeling it as such. The fact that Newsday, once one of the top five
daily newspapers in the nation, condones this poor practice is
disturbing as it lacks transparency by blurring the line between news
and opinion.

For me, my family, friends and associates,
it appears Newsday is joining the ranks of the Star and the Enquirer. To
place a column with Brown’s personal feelings on page 3, next to actual
news stories – as a way of tricking the average reader into thinking
they are facts – is yellow journalism at its worst. Ethical journalism
calls for viewpoints in a separate section from the news because the two
are supposed to be separate and apart. Accordingly, I am calling on the
publisher of Newsday to end this practice immediately!”

Kate Murray:
For Kate Murray, the Rangers are exciting, it's obvious what she wants, she will get her sixty percent on election day as long as she does what the Joe Mondello machine tells her to do.

Charles Wang:
Wang will have veto power over the HUB site until 2015 per the LI Business News, but who knows if that could be negotiated as part of breaking his current lease early? Ratner vs Dolan will make for some very interesting games, and with the Islanders future television/newspaper coverage given the contention with the Nets ownership to say nothing of fights for events with Barclay's currently going on 4/17/13.

Dolan's long problems with virtually every NY/NJ team is well documented.

Wang has a binding lease until 2021 in Bridgeport, and Howard Saffan said the team is not going to move anywhere regardless of the Isles. He operates Webster Bank Arena which he just spent money renovating.

Charles Wang is not paying to repair the Nassau Coliseum anymore, unless Bruce Ratner has an ECHL hockey team included as part of his bid there will not be a New York Islander affiliate to put on the property.

Again, I have written this often, as long as Wang owns the Marriott, he needs revenue from people staying there who will go to the Coliseum, not an empty lot. He may even want Dolan to put his AHL team in the Coliseum so his hotel receives the related hockey business from fans/visiting teams he will lose in Brooklyn?

Wang picked Brooklyn to make Dolan keep paying him cable contract money,
and for his legacy of not being the man to lose the Islanders. It's a
far from perfect plan for Wang to generate revenue, and those claiming luxury boxes are the revenue miracle learned nothing from the Smg lease that John Pickett did to go with teams in modern buildings losing money all over this league with full facility control, luxury boxes, and thousands of more seats than Barclay's at this time.

Per the LIBN, David Winzelberg, in August 2012 Wang can veto any plan for the HUB/Coliseum here.

Wang’s newest lease for the Coliseum signed
last year gives him a say in what eventually gets built around the rest
of the property. The Hub’s master developer will have to build a tiered
parking to make up for any of the 6,500 parking spots lost, and Wang can
reject any plan he deems would “adversely affect the use and operation”
of his Long Island Marriott hotel and the Coliseum.

Legally speaking does Mangano's RPF for the Coliseum circumvent the above? Perhaps.

Behind The Scenes:
No, James Dolan is not happy. That 300m+ until 2030 in cable contract money was to pay for a Cablevision Coliseum bid when the Isles left New York entirely.

That plan (for now or until we see something on that iron-clad Barclay's lease) did not work out for Dolan.

Perhaps enough current Islander fans (mostly comprised of families/kids) at future LI Ranger AHL games combined with a very poor Brooklyn turnout will force Wang/NHL to cease operations. There will be virtually no media with the real chance Newsday goes AP with the Islanders in Brooklyn.

Now we know (or knew) why all those negative articles appeared in Msg's newspaper to defeat the referendum long before Dolan's Newspaper's very late tepid, token endorsement only when it was clear it would not pass (polls) that only said the process should continue for now when you got to the fine print.

The two second appearance of James Dolan endorsing anything would make people vote against it, who but hockey fans would visit ITV to view even know of it's existence?

Dolan-owned Newsday took a quiet vote in August, and their newspaper made it a circus to drum up support to defeat it with continual front-page headlines, and negative editorials. Now they want the Coliseum, and have placed a bid for it?

This was not Mike Bloomberg quickly giving every team the store via taxpayer behind closed door for new baseball stadium's.

George Marlin will not be doing negative editorials in Dolan's Newspaper to tell the public Msg should not develop the Nassau Coliseum.

Randi Marshall will not be twittering about Dolan's political contributions as she did regarding Charles Wang.

Coverage Game:
Per the LI Press/Countless Articles we know how Dolan plays the media game with outlets he owns direct from the employees.

Please don't write, and claim it's my conspiracy. The people working for him have said this many times April 2012 along with 2010. I could produce a hundred links of Dolan regulating media from other outlets. It's what the professional media has reported independent of Msg almost non-stop, along with the employees themselves.

The Nassau Coliseum sure has received a lot of questionable or trivial front pages under Dolan's ownership.

Dolan's paper linking the Isles to Smg for the first time ever or using the front page over a disputed rent bill of only a few million? Nassau County had past disputes with Smg over money owed that was on the county website in 2006.

So much for " Smg set us free", when the Tribune Company owned Newsday in the late 1990's when they were the Islanders flat out enemy with lawsuits. If you read Dolan's paper, it comes off as if the Islanders are treated like they co-created the Coliseum internal problems themselves lately, when all Wang did was spend money as a tenant to renovate his landlords building long before Wang/Rechler got the so-called 2009 " gift " of a sublease where Smg receives 17m until 2015 unless Wang opted out which means Smg still get's every dollar through 2015.

Some gift.

Of course Dolan's paper should report the Islanders were named in the Coliseum asbestos lawsuit, that's fair.

You will not see one word against Dolan's bid for the Coliseum, at best only the competition in the official newspaper of Madison Square Garden will be discussed with their plans.

Dolan's paper will not turn it's owners bid into a circus like the Lighthouse or the referendum, those writers would lose their jobs. The silence will be deafening until they are selected as RFP winner (whatever you call it) which is separate from the HUB.

Who knows what Robert Brodsky, Randi Marshall will be told to write to keep their job? News12 LI is Dolan-owned which moderated the big vote debate in 2012.

The LI Business News has a Dolan owned name attached to it.

The NYC media will not care, they sell Msg, and their teams, plus need the ad money. Dolan's recent quote that he pays you're salary does not extend only to Msg security. Sports editors know he pays their salary too with the beat writer faster than you can say, Alan Hahn, New York Observer 2007 vs 2013.

At least the Observer in 2013 finally pointed out all those privately funded baseball stadiums were built by the taxpayers vs the NYC editorials demanding Wang pay for it himself in 2011.

Kind of like the countless articles you see about the sports coverage with the spin positive for Msg, not the other teams. (Newsday's Foil request on Mets)

Bridgeport vs Long Island vs Cablevision Whale in Hartford:
Dolan wants another entertainment venue, the Sound Tigers are locked into Webster Bank Arena until 2021, and in two years Dolan is free to move his AHL team directly into a new/renovated Nassau Coliseum so there is your professional team per Mangano's guidelines.

The Sound Tigers registering two domains was strange but a sign of what's been going on quietly behind the scenes, that could have been for this coming year.

The AHL Long Island Rangers will cut into the remaining Islander fans, the kids/familes that currently make up a large part of the crowd at the Islander games, there are no territorial rights for the American Hockey League. The Rangers NHL team will waste no time going back to the Coliseum for some preseason games, to market an AHL franchise as the official home team.

Unlike in Hartford where Msg decided to immediately go after another teams fan base with an AHL affiliate, and met resistance, that will not happen on Cablevision-owned Long Island, where Newsday even before Dolan purchased the paper worked tirelessly to sell the Msg brand with generations of Ranger fans working for the paper.

Legal?
As I have written here often Dolan, Cablevision, Msg, Newsday have every legal right to do this.

Bridgeport:
Not much to write about Bridgeport, they lost a two goal lead with three minutes left to lose in overtime, in another game that defined their season. They have richly earned the playoff elimination that should come no later than Saturday.

New York:
When the 48 game season concludes, entries about the 2013-14 season will begin. Sorry for the timing but this is Mangano's plan, not mine. As I told folks back on 1/2/13 the season was cancelled here, Stanley Cup or 30th, and that this website may not be for you during this time.

Scott Pellerin signed a two year contract with an option when he was hired by Garth Snow. He explained his job terms quite well last summer here.

“It’s a perfect fit for me,” said Pellerin.
“I mean I’m familiar with many people on the staff at Bridgeport. My
coaching style is in line with what Garth was looking for to fill the
post. My role is going to develop players on the minor league level, win
as many games as we can and, to help our players reach their goals.”

Anyone who reads New York Islander Fan Central, knows
I'm loyal to coaches, staff likely more than most. A minor league coach in the
best of circumstances during a normal season has to work with many roster
changes to the degree what happens is completely out of his control. Scott Pellerin, unlike his predecessor in 29th
place at the end of 2011, has had the most favorable of circumstances.
Based on what I have seen/read, or listened to since
October, I do not believe Scott Pellerin should be retained for 2013-14 by
Islander management to coach the Bridgeport Sound Tigers beyond this season.

Worst goals allowed in the AHL on a team with only a
few NHL callups during a lockout season that had Hamonic, Donovan, Ness, Wishart
into December with Cizikas, Ullstrom (sometimes injured) most of the
time? Over sixteen hundred penalty minutes, which again
leads most teams by several hundred, dead last in AHL. Two seven game losing
streaks, a franchise record pp slump?

Granted Pellerin's had bad luck with deHaan, Kabanov,
and Anders Nilsson but this team should have been better defensively all year,
these injuries are well within the norm for many teams which include Persson,
Sundstrom missing time. Not sure where Jason Clark's struggles should be
credited to or Colin McDonald's rise but naming a captain, and changing it did
not fix much on the ice.

The Islanders owned man games lost to injury for many
years. and did not struggle in Bridgeport to this degree with a taxi roster of
players when games were in the balance. Kevin Poulin allowing three or more goals in 11/15
games?

Absolutely Pellerin deserves some credit for individual performances like
Niederreiter (first half) he seems far less engaged around the puck in second
half (perhaps injuries on his line or a full season wear) Brock Nelson, John
Persson, and Johan Sundstrom with Matt Donovan, Aaron Ness.

Too many times this team did not seem ready or play
like a unit, despite it's talent, on a team during a lockout until mid-January,
that did not recall many players.The critical moment breakdowns, or games other teams
just outplayed them with two points in balance, or important games this team
simply did not show, and a little too much complaining over some bad calls do
not reflect well at all on Scott Pellerin.

That includes the trade of Jack Combs to another AHL
team, and sending of Chad Costello to the ECHL (so defender Jordan Hill can play
forward?) with Costello pulling no punches in calling out Pellerin, which seems
another first for a Bridgeport coach to be criticized by a player like
that. Garth Snow is accountable for this as general
manager.

Mark Cantin and Mike Halmo seemed to be no success
story.

Thereare five games left in Bridgeport's season,
playoffs are highly unlikely given math, but this is about talent that did not
grow into a team, under circumstances far better than many past Sound Tigers
coaches have been given. I did not even advocate for a change from Dan
Marshall. This was Pellerin's first chance coaching after being an assistant in Manchester for six seasons, it was not an off the radar selection to pick an AHL assistant with one team for a long time, that made five playoffs in six years under Mark Morris. Regardless what happens from
here with Islander prospects down the stretch, I believe this team needs a
coaching change for 2013-14.

NYIFC Comments:
New York qualified Koskinen last summer, and will need to do so through June 2015 if the club wishes to retain his NHL rights. That does not cost anything, however Koskinen was the first overall goalie selected in his draft class so it's looking like a pick that will not work out or has moved on for good. During his time in North America he was frequently injured, however showed some flashes of his ability at all levels.

Anders Nilsson is signed for next season, however illness has taken virtually all of this year from him (he's healthy enough to backup now for Bridgeport) it could also mean the second goaltender drafted very high that summer, the only prospect anywhere to receive a first round contract (Nilsson makes practically same money as Ryan Strome) could turn out to be another big miss on the draft front.

Kevin Poulin needs to be resigned this summer, and has struggled in the AHL. Only management knows how things play out with DiPietro, who's finally proving durable if nothing else on the AHL's worst defensive team most of the year.

Bridgeport:
Not much to write about the Sound Tigers playoff chances that was not written about recently. Another devastating loss is followed by a win that keeps the conversation going, but without six of seven wins in the remaining games, it's highly unlikely. Too many teams in front of them.

Defensively the frequent breakdowns still happen, but the addition of Strome, the return of John Persson, Sundstrom, Ullstrom with the standout play of Brock Nelson, it's a team that can also finally score some power play goals after a franchise record setting slump. Niederreiter has not had a strong last few months where he's dominating the puck when he's on the ice, but management may want him to concentrate on learning the defensive game.

Most recent games Bridgeport is getting the better pressure.

The loss of Jack Combs offense has hurt given what he did last weekend. Kirill Kabanov has landed on the bench in what looks like a lost season after injury where Scott Pellerin has pushed for more from him.

Individually Matt Donovan is producing at a very high level for the Sound Tigers.

NYIFC Comments:
Another early college prospect signing by Garth Snow. The 6/1/13 clock continues for Theoret, D Kichton.

On paper between Reinhart, Donovan, deHaan, Ness, Pedan, now Mayfield in Bridgeport, with Strait, Hickey, Finley, Carkner, Visnovsky, Hamonic (rfa), MacDonald under contract to New York for 13-14 the depth chart screams they are running out of spots for Kichton/2012 drafted defenseman from CHL (Jesse Graham/Loic Leduc, Adam Pelech) who will have to be signed by 6/1/14.

Ville Pokka from Finland will have to be signed by 6/1/14.

There are college prospects (Robbie Russo, Doyle Somerby, Jack Bischoff) behind that in the years ahead.

This does not even include qualified, Mark Katic, Ty Wishart or some of the current defenders in Bridgeport.

D Marc Cantin is signed through 2013-14 was recently sent to the ECHL, and is New York property.

NYIFC Comments:
Pedan had to be signed by 6/1/13 or the Islanders would lose his rights. Mitchell Theoret, Brenden Kichton, and Cody Rosen (8/15/13) deadline are the remaining prospects that need to be signed this summer for the club to retain their rights.

After making his decision to turn pro, Lee said, "I love this
University, my teammates the coaching staff and everyone with the
program who helped me get this opportunity. I've been blessed and am so
thankful to have had the opportunity to play at Notre Dame."

NYIFC Comments:
Lee only signed for two years because he's 22.
Bottom line, New York got one of their highest rated prospects signed unlike those who submitted letters, and signed elsewhere. Lee will be a restricted free agent next summer. (worse case)

Agent Neil Sheehy had the only comments so far on the signing via twitter, and like Islander prospect, Brendan Kichton, had some criticism for the media which again screams Arthur Staple of Cablevision another NHL owned team at Newsday.

More importantly Sheehy, said this is a no-move contract, which means little if Visnovsky at some future point wishes to be traded. Bottom line another player comes here, finds it a place they wish to be, and resigns which say everything about how this franchise is run.

Yes, if Visnovsky decides to retire or stay home the Islanders have themselves a cap hit with no player so there is a risk here.

Sorry folks, there will be no trade deadline updates beyond New York Islander related transactions for the 2013-14 season, or unless it's a player that helps Bridgeport down the stretch.

There was no official clear day for the AHL this year.

Sean Wiles was released by Bridgeport after a goal, and two assists, apparently that was the intended plan as he returned to the ECHL for their playoffs. Defenseman Jordan Hill continues to be used as a forward.

Bridgeport needs a winning in regulation streak to gain the ground necessary, last weekend was mostly more time knocked off the calendar. Rick DiPietro has been very good, Ken Reiter's been even better. Anders Nilsson backed up a game, it will be interesting to see if he continues to practice with the goal of playing.

Nilsson is the latest drafted pick since the 2005 CBA to receive first round money, that means his contract is virtually identical to that of Ryan Strome.

As for the 2013-14 New York Islanders, the lockout will end here with the conclusion of the forty eight game whatever whether that is in late April or late June. An announcement of a preseason game is not worth an entry here.

Deepest condolences on the loss of former New York Islander assistant, Wayne Fleming.